It is known to provide guillotine-like devices for beheading mice and other small laboratory animals which may have been rendered disabled and/or toxic and must be disposed of.
Of concern is the fact that on occasion the blade is activated while an operator's hand is in a blocking position, resulting in injury, such as loss of one or more fingers, and the like.
Accordingly, there is a need for a decapitation assembly having a safety facility requiring conscious action on the part of the operator to place the blade in condition for use.
There is further a need for a method for decapitating laboratory animals, which method is safe for the operator of the decapitating assembly.